Post Pop Depression - Iggy Pop (released 3/18/16)

I know it's early, but I'm here to tell you that it's entirely possible that the best album of 2016 has hit the scene.  Pairing punk rock icon Iggy Pop with groovy guitarist Josh Homme proves to be a wonderful idea on Post Pop Depression, a masterful release that fires on all cylinders.  Dean Fertita and Matt Helders round out the band, and they surely hold their own on bass and drums.  In fact, while I'm not a big fan of the Arctic Monkeys, I found the groovy percussion courtesy of Helders to be a bit of a revelation here.  Homme does some killer work on guitar (no surprise there) and provides some nifty vocals as well, and Fertita is also on point throughout, but make no mistake: this riveting gem is all about Iggy Pop.  There are rumors that this may be his last release, and if that is the case, Iggy is definitely going out on top.  The last track is about as fitting a swan song as one could imagine for a frontman with Pop's presence and vigor.  There isn't a bad track in the mix, and the album deftly weaves a plethora of styles together, covering new ground when it isn't revisiting bygone eras with the sort of expertise and power that should humble most modern acts looking to make their mark in any of the same territories.  Highlights include the invigorating odyssey that is "Sunday," the Bowie-esque "Gardenia," and "In the Lobby," a spunky and morbid affair that would have meshed nicely with all the rollicking tracks that made Funhouse* such a classic.  However, it's that grand finale ("Paraguay") that really sets this one apart, and this vicious and operatic farewell may be the best punk song I've heard in a decade or so.  It's 100% Iggy Pop, and it stands as a brilliant way to close out an extremely cool album from one of music's most vibrant performers.  In truth, I have to note that as a longtime fan of this brazen artist, the previously-mentioned Funhouse is the only recording Iggy has blessed us with that I would rate higher than Post Pop Depression.

Final Grade: A

If Post Pop Depression is the last entry in Iggy Pop's catalog, the dude is going out in style.

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*If you dig punk rock and you have never listened to Funhouse, you're doing it all wrong.  I know that most people in the know would probably anoint Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols as the best punk album ever (and it is positively sublime), but I have a hard time putting it above Funhouse.

Zipper Down from Eagles of Death Metal (released 10/2/15)

Zipper Down arrived from EODM today, and this crazy band's first album since 2008 is probably their silliest offering yet.  That's okay, for being silly and having a groovy good time while rocking out and making fun of themselves is precisely what the Eagles of Death Metal specialize in.  I thought their last album (Heart On) was a little less spirited than their previous outings, but though they may have cranked up the humor on Zipper Down, they're certainly not phoning it in.  It doesn't have quite the same punch as their first release (2004's totally stupendous Peace, Love, Death Metal) but it is a mean recording.  It has a lot of juice, and the boys are clearly having a good time tearing it up on tracks like "Oh Girl," Skin-Tight Boogie," and "The Reverend."  "Silverlake," the previously released jab at hipsters, is probably the most entertaining song from Zipper Down, but the textured revamp of the 1982 Duran Duran single "Save a Prayer" (from Rio) is seriously impressive.  Cheeky, high-octane, and full of swagger and style, Zipper Down is another super cool album from one hell of a super cool band.

Final Grade: B+

If this picture could make noise,
it would sound like an Eagles of Death Metal song.

EODM's New Song Totally Rocks (No Surprise There)

Zipper Down from Eagles of Death Metal is due out on 10/2.

Thus far, those dashing Eagles of Death Metal have released three tracks from their upcoming album, Zipper Down.  The first two, "Complexity" and "Got a Woman," are solid tracks.  The first is cheeky and upbeat and the second is a lightning-paced rock and roll jam that I liked a bit more.  However, both of those songs pale in comparison to the track the band debuted most recently.  "Silverlake" is a fab song that is full of oomph and humor, allowing the band to shred and make fun of hipsters in equal measures.  The end result is one of my favorite songs from this groovy band and it definitely ramps up my enthusiasm as the arrival of Zipper Down draws nigh.  If you've never experienced this silly rock affair anchored by the lovable Jesse Hughes and his wacky pal Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) on drums, this new album may prove to be a great starting point.  Arriving seven years after they last dropped an album on us (2008's Heart On, a nifty record that I liked--even if it is easily the band's least impressive offering to date), the upcoming release boasts eleven tracks, including a cover of Duran Duran's "Save a Prayer."  If it lives up to the feel good vibe that the red hot and unabashedly cool "Silverlake" generates, music lovers everywhere are going to have a great time getting down with Zipper Down.

Listen to the latest from EODM here.